Denied entry to Russia for Serkan Yagci

Objava: 29.11.2015 | 04:13
Magazine

World and European champion Serkan Yagci was stopped by Russian border police at the airport in Moscow, because of the politic crisis between Turkey and Russia, that started few days ago as Russian plane was taken down by Turkey at the Turkish-Syrian border.

Yagci was previously invited by the Russian karate club Rodina for a seminar that should been held this weekend (December 28-29) in Moscow. When he arrived to Moscow, Yagci encounter the problems at the pasport control of the Moscow’s airport. Police refused to let him pass the pasport control point because of the Russian government decision about not letting Turks inside the country and crossing the border. Yagci was surprised when hearing about this Russian goverment decision, what also made him nervous.

As the Russian karate club made a contact with the police and told them about Serkan’s achievements and successes in karate, they tried to help him to pass the control, but because of the general decision by the Russian goverment, eventually they refused to let him inside the country. One of the Russian policemen said that political problems shouldn’t be interrupting the sport and he personally apologized to Yagci.

As Serkan posted to Facebook he’s going to Moscow on Friday night, some of his friends already predicted his situation in Moscow saying “I hope you won’t have a problem champ”, “Be careful Serkan”, etc.

The turkish medias were waiting for Serkan at the airport in Istanbul, where he flew from Moscow. He gave a short statment for the turkish news media as they met him when he landed. For Karate News, Yagci said that beside he’s angry, that he is most sorry for the children who were waiting for him to come.

Previously, Serkan hosted the Rodina team in his hometown Gebze this summer, in the end of the July. This time more than 70 participants and coaches were awaiting for him in Moscow. From many of them he recieved apologies full of disapointment, caused by political problems.